


I Love You; As In...

by Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force



Category: RWBY
Genre: Childhood Friends to Lovers, F/F, Minor Angst, everything is fine and nobody dies ever au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-15 16:01:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29316768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force/pseuds/Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force
Summary: A series of snapshots through Blake Belladonna’s life as she grows up and realised that her relationship with her best friend might just be something a little more than friendship.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 16
Kudos: 245





	I Love You; As In...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Set_WingedWarrior](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Set_WingedWarrior/gifts).



> A birthday gift for my buddy Wings! Happy birthday, love! Howl you enjoy this lil gift 💛😁

Kali chuckles softly, her amber gaze gentle and fond as she watches her five year old daughter squeal in delight before running excitedly to meet her best friend, completely oblivious to Ghira’s warnings to stay by their side.

“Oh, relax, dear. She’s just excited to see her little friend,” Kali soothes, resting her head on her husband’s shoulder and smiling at the sight of a little girl with wild, blonde hair and an even wilder, lopsided grin tackling Blake in a hug, sending them both to the ground in a heap of giggles and limbs. “Would you rather that she be a nervous, fearful child?”

“I had to pluck her from the tree in our backyard this morning, Kali,” Ghira says, his voice an amused rumble as they walk over to the girls. “I think our girl is a little  _ too  _ brave for her own good.”

“Ghira!” 

A voice calls and they both look up at a blonde man with a lopsided grin, so similar to that of the little girl currently pulling Blake to her feet and dancing with her in a circle. 

“Tai,” Ghira greets warmly, pulling him into a tight hug and chuckling at the much shorter man’s protesting wheeze. “How are you? How’s the family?”

“Well… I think you just cracked a rib so that’s something,” Tai jokes, winking playfully at Kali as he pulls her into a gentle hug and steps back with a shrug. “The family’s great. Summer’s just trying to wrangle Ruby. I swear that Yang didn’t have half of that girl’s energy two years ago.”

“Yes, well…” An indignant sounding voice huffs and they all turn to see a woman carrying an overexcited three year old on her hip, both with matching dark red hair and silver eyes. “If  _ somebody _ hadn’t let her have a cookie before breakfast, we wouldn’t be in this mess, would we, darling?” Summer says, her voice saccharine enough to make all three other adults wince. “Ruby? Do you wanna say hi to Blake?” Summer coos, turning her attention to her youngest and plopping her on her feet.

There’s a gentle moment where the parents find themselves cooing under their breaths as Blake pulls back from Yang and greets Ruby with a gentle smile, hugging the younger girl and offering her a piggyback ride as Yang turns to the adults and asks for permission to go and play on the playground.

Kali watches them run off, though it doesn’t escape her eye that her daughter turns to Yang and seems to gaze at her as though she’s the sun. 

* * *

“Your Dad’s gonna kill you for sneaking out here.”

“Oh,  _ please.  _ Dad’s a big softy,” Blake giggles, watching as Yang climbs onto the branch beside her, lopsided grin in place as the two ten year olds settle together in the tree, legs swinging beneath them as a cool breeze begins to blow through Yang’s backyard. “Besides,  _ you’re  _ the reckless one.”

“How am  _ I  _ the reckless one?!”

“You have a black eye, sunshine,” Blake says, arching her brow in a perfect mimicry of her mother’s disbelieving stare. Her black cat ears flick back in concern for a moment and she reaches out, gently brushing Yang’s bangs back from her forehead and huffing softly to herself. “Mercury’s lucky that he got sent home yesterday. I would have kicked his butt for hurting you.”

“You’re small so the rage is more concentrated.” Yang says teasingly, playfully reaching up to grab Blake’s hand and entwining their fingers together with a soft huff of laughter. “But in my defence, he was being a jerk to Ruby. I had to do  _ something, _

“Ugh. I don’t understand how anyone can be mean to your sister. She’s so sweet,” Blake mutters, glancing away as a strange and very new wave of shyness comes over her, her chest fluttering weirdly as Yang squeezes her hand. 

“Yeah, she’s pretty great,” Yang grins proudly, leaning over to bump Blake’s shoulder with her own, her lilac eyes dancing mischievously. “Oh! Did I tell you about her new friend?”

“No? I don’t think so?”

“Oh gosh- yeah! There’s a new girl in Ruby’s class called Weiss and Ruby is, like,  _ in love  _ with her or something,” Yang says with a snicker, dropping Blake’s hand to wrap her arm around Blake’s shoulder lazily, gently tugging her friend into her side. “She won’t stop talking about Weiss and her pretty hair or how smart she is.”

“Aw,” Blake says with a nervous little laugh, her chest doing that weird little flutter once more. Her cheeks feel warm, and her stomach feels as though there are butterflies dancing around in it. “Cute.”

But why was she nervous? It’s  _ just  _ Yang! Her best friend! They’ve known each other since they were little. Surely there’s no reason for her to be nervous around Yang, right?

“But I don’t think Weiss likes Ruby very much,” Yang says, frowning lightly before shrugging and giving Blake a small, lopsided grin that makes her stomach do a weird flop. “I don’t think Ruby’s gonna give up on being her best friend though. You’ll see… I reckon they’ll be best buds by this time next year!”

“If you say so,” Blake mumbles, shyly leaning into Yang’s side and dropping her head to her best friend’s shoulder as they fall into a comfortable silence, quietly watching the sun set over the Xiao Long-Rose backyard.

* * *

“Blake told you not to do it.”

“Yes, Ruby. I know.”

“Blake’s smart, Yang. You should listen to her more often.”

“Yeah, Yang. Blake’s smart. You should listen to her more often,” A thirteen year old Blake chirps, smirking as Yang glowers at her from her bed. She laughs softly and glances at Ruby, smiling fondly at the sight of the younger girl drawing roses on the cuff of the cast encasing Yang’s right arm. “Thank you for listening to reason, Ruby. I guess I chose the wrong sister to be best friends with.” 

Ruby giggles, capping the black sharpie marker and throwing it at a disgruntled Yang before bouncing over to where Blake sits and patting her shoulder sympathetically, a playful grin lighting up her face. “Sorry, Blake. It’s too late. You’re stuck with  _ her _ now,” She snickers, sticking out her tongue at Yang when she tries to throw the marker back at her only to have it intercepted by Blake. “I’m going to go help mum with the cookies. Later!”

Blake snorts as she turns to Yang, rolling her eyes at the pout on her best friend’s face as she wanders over and sits by her hip. “Oh, don’t look at me like that, you big dork. You know I love you.” She says calmly, biting the inside of her cheek as Yang narrows her eyes at her. 

“You wouldn’t  _ actually  _ replace me, would you?”

“No,” Blake says simply, uncapping the marker and tilting her head thoughtfully at Yang’s cast, one of her cat ears flicking curiously. She glances back up at Yang, her lips curling into a soft smile before focusing her attention on leaving her mark on Yang’s cast. “You’re my best friend. Even if our parents  _ weren’t _ friends and it took us a few more years to meet, I still would have chosen you.”

“What if somebody else was your best friend before me?” Yang asks quietly, watching as Blake takes care with her mark, her tongue poking out between her teeth as she focuses. “What if you lived somewhere else? Somewhere far away?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Blake says with a little shrug, her smile growing bigger and her chest spilling over with affection as Yang snorts a small laugh. “You’re the perfect best friend for me, Yang. I’d find you and I’d choose you every single time, in every single universe.” She pauses as she finishes her mark, pulling back and looking at Yang with a shy smile and a sheepish laugh. “I think that, even if I didn’t know you existed, I’d still miss you somehow. Like- like something important was missing.”

“I- oh. Wow,” Yang murmurs, her own lips curling into an equally shy smile, her cheeks tinting pink as she slowly looks down at her cast and examines Blake’s mark, clearing her throat rough and quickly changing the subject as her cheeks grow ever darker. “That’s pretty. What is it?”

“It’s a Belladonna flower,” Blake explains, capping the marker and dropping it to the bed as she sits back and crosses her legs. She cups her jaw in a hand, elbow resting upon her knee and shrugs. “My mum told me about it. It’s this really pretty plant that’s actually poisonous if you eat or drink it. I thought that, since it shares my last name, it’ll be like I’m always with you so you never feel lonely.”

Yang blinks at Blake for a long moment before leaping across the bed and hooking her uninjured arm around Blake’s neck in a tight hug, turning to burrow her face into Blake’s shoulder with a soft whine. Blake hesitates for a single second before wrapping her arms around Yang, squeezing her gently and letting out a happy hum when Yang pulls away and grins as she stands and plucks a book from her bedside table and hands it to Blake. 

It isn’t too long before Tai comes in to check on them, pausing and laughing softly under his breath at the sight of Yang curled into Blake’s side, book laying forgotten on the bed as both girls sleep peacefully, with Blake’s arms holding onto Yang securely. When he silently pads up to Summer and tells her to come and look, he knows that his wife will be adding another photo to the scrapbook.

* * *

“Blake?”

A fourteen year old Blake huffs, crossing her arms as Kali sits next to her in the driver’s seat of the family car, though she doesn’t start the engine yet. Blake can all but  _ feel  _ disappointment radiating off her her mother and guilt hits her like a truck. She looks out of her window, biting her lip as her ears press flat against her head.

“You want to tell me what happened?” Kali asks softly, her voice never dipping into anger or frustration, her tone just as soft and loving as it always was. Somehow, that just makes it worse. “Explain why I got called in because  _ somebody  _ got into a fight?”

Blake’s tongue darts out, grazing the split in her lip. She sighs, heavily, and rests her forehead against the window with a shrug. “We were playing soccer and Mercury took a dive, pretending that Yang hurt him on purpose. He tried to say that she stomped on his leg but Yang would  _ never  _ do that!” Blake says, her voice pitching a little as her fingers curl into the fabric of her shorts, her eyes narrowing as she remembers the shock on Yang’s face as the referee holds up a red card. “I saw what happened and tried to tell the ref and that’s when Mercury’s friend shoved me as she walked by me. I shoved her back and it just… escalated from there,” Blake mutters, swallowing nervously at the silence that follows. She had never liked arguing with her parents, had never liked being at odds with them. 

“... okay. So… if I speak to Summer and get Yang’s perspective, she’ll say the same thing?”

“Yeah,” Blake pauses for a long moment, anxiety bubbling up in her chest and making her heart ache. “Do- do you hate me?”

“Wha- hate you?” Kali parrots, sounding utterly bewildered. Her hand falls to Blake’s shoulder, squeezing it gently as her other hand gently curls around Blake’s chin and brings her head up to meet her golden gaze, now full of concern as she sees the worried tears building in Blake’s eyes. “Why would I hate you, Blake? You’re my  _ baby _ . How could I possibly hate you?”

“You and Dad always say that violence isn’t the answer.” Blake mumbles, leaning into her mother’s hand and closing her eyes as Kali brushes her thumb against her cheek. “I thought you’d be disappointed or something.”

“I’m not going to lie… I’m not happy that you got into a fight. But you did it for the right reasons and your heart was in a good place. I’m proud of you for sticking up for somebody you love but you need to know that there are better ways to go about it. But there is not a single thing on in this or any other universe that could me or your father hate you. Do you understand? Absolutely _nothing,”_ Kali says earnestly, leaning forward to press her forehead against the top of Blake’s head as Blake lets out a relieved little sigh. “You’re still grounded, though.”

“I- wha-  _ seriously?!” _

“Yes,  _ seriously.  _ That includes being stripped of all Yang privileges.”

_ “Muuuuuuuum!”  _ Blake whines, flopping back in her seat as Kali leans back in hers, her mother’s eyebrows arching in clear amusement at Blake’s dramatics. “She’s my best friend! I’m going to  _ die!” _

“So dramatic,” Kali murmurs, starting the engine and pulling out of the school’s parking lot, her lips curling into a soft smirk as Blake pouts. “And all of this just for a friend? If you’re not careful, I’m going to start to think that you have a crush on her or something.”

_ “Psshhh! No! I don’t have a crush on Yang!”  _ Blake squeaks, her voice cracking as her cheeks begin to burn. She stutters, her hands hovering awkwardly in the air as her mother snickers at her. “I just- she’s my best friend, Mum! Am I not allowed to be upset about not seeing my best friend?!”

“Sure… but you’ll see her at school. You’re always a  _ little  _ dramatic when it comes to your little gal pal, dear heart.”

“I’m  _ not!  _ I  _ don’t  _ have a crush!”

Blake huffs, slouching in her seat and pouting as her mother reaches over to gently ruffle her hair, reaching up to bat at her mother’s hands and sigh a long-suffering sigh.

“By the way, Blake…”

“Yeah, Mum?”

“There is  _ one  _ other reason why I’m proud of you.”

“What’s that?”

Kali turns to Blake and grins an utterly wicked smile. “You won. If you’re going to fight, then you might as well win.”

Blake laughs, snickering behind her hand as they head towards the Belladonna home.

* * *

“Uh… Blake? Your friend’s here.”

“Wha- Yang’s here? Hang on! Coming!”

Blake’s quick to run down the stairs, pulling her hair back into a low ponytail as she goes. By the time she enters the main hall, her father is standing next to a bedraggled Yang, sopping wet from the storm outside. Ghira glances at Blake, offering her a confused glance before nodding and wandering off to find Kali, presumably to tell her of the stray child that had just stormed in… quite literally.

“Yang?” Blake asks softly, her heart squeezing at the sight of Yang’s red eyes. Her clothes are a mess, her hair plastered against her head and Blake can  _ just _ tell that she’s close to falling apart. “Sunshine? Hey, c’mere.” She whispers, stepping forward and pulling the taller girl into her arms, accepting her weight with a soft grunt as Yang  _ slumps  _ into her hold.

Yang’s trembling, though Blake’s unsure if it’s from the cold or from something else she doesn’t know about. Her fingers are clutching tightly at Blake’s shirt, her breath coming out in short, hyperventilating gasps as she clings to her. 

Blake swallows, hard, and bites back the tears that sting at the corner of her eyes. It  _ hurts _ to see Yang— strong, dependable and unflappable Yang— so distraught. Slowly, she rubs her back and turns her head so that her mouth is next to Yang’s ear, speaking lowly so that only Yang can hear her. “Shhh. I’ve got you, Sunshine. I’m here. It’s okay. Just take a deep breath for me, okay? There you go. Good girl.” 

Blake slowly guides Yang into a more regular breath pattern, gently praising and encouraging her, even as her back and arms begin to burn from holding Yang’s body weight up. When Yang pulls back with a sniffle, her cheeks wet with rain and tears, Blake smiles gently at her and takes her hand. She guides Yang up to her room, giving her a change of clothes so she can get into something warm. 

When Kali pokes her head into Blake’s room while Yang’s in the bathroom getting changed, Blake shoots her a pleading look, her eyes wide as she begs her mother to let Yang stay. Kali hesitates but relents, nodding quietly as she tells Blake that she’s going to call Summer and let her know that Yang’s safe.

It doesn’t take long for the two fifteen year olds to tuck themselves under Blake’s blankets, with Blake on her back and Yang curled into her side, head resting on Blake’s chest. Blake can hear the rain falling against her windowpane, a contrast to the warmth coming from Yang as her warm breath ghosts across Blake’s chest. Every so often, she feels a tear fall from her friend’s cheek and all she can do is tighten her arms around Yang and murmur soft assurances into her now dry hair.

“A woman showed up at the house,” Yang mumbles, sniffling as she fidgets with Blake’s shirt, her fingers grazing Blake’s abdomen lightly. “I- I asked her who she was and- _ heh- _ get this, Blake, the first thing she says to me is “Is that any way to speak to you mother?” and I just-“ Yang’s voice breaks and Blake inhales sharply.

She knows about Yang’s birth mother. She knows that she abandoned Yang and Taiyang when Yang was just a baby. She knows that Summer, an old friend, had stepped in to help take care of Yang. She knows that Summer Rose had grown into the role of “mother” for Yang, had accepted it- had accepted  _ her-  _ and loved her every day since. But she also knows that it doesn’t undo the hurt that Yang feels about being left behind by Raven Branwen…

And *knowing* how badly Yang had been hurt makes Blake feel incredibly angry at the woman that had done it.

“She came back?”

“Yeah. Said she was in town so she figured she’d see how her “old friends” were doing,” Yang scoffs, her fingers curling tightly into Blake’s shirt, her voice dropping into an angry growl. “As if that’s all her and Dad were. She-  _ God,  _ Blake. I can’t- I thought I was  _ over  _ this. Like- I get it. She didn’t want me. Who  _ fucking  _ cares?!” Yang laughs, the sound sounding pained and a little hysterical to Blake’s ears. She hears Yang swallow, her body trembling as she presses closer to Blake with a shaky breath. “Except I  _ do.  _ I care and I want to know why she left me, why she didn’t  _ love  _ me, and she won’t- she won’t tell me. She- She  _ left  _ us and she has the fucking  _ nerve  _ to come back for a  _ “flying visit”  _ and won’t even tell me  _ why!” _

“Oh God, Yang. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Blake breathes, holding Yang tightly as her friend buries her face into her chest. 

“I- I couldn’t be there so- so I ran here. I- I can’t go back there. Not- not right now.”

“I already talked with my Mum. You can stay here for tonight,” Blake says softly, running her hand through Yang’s hair and letting out a soft shaky breath as she lifts her head to look down at her with tear filled eyes. “You can stay with me, okay? I’ve got you, Sunshine. I’m here for you.”

“Thank you,” Yang mumbles, smiling shakily at Blake for a moment. “It’s means a lot, Blake.”

Blake hesitates for a moment before reaching up and tucking Yang’s hair behind her ear, her heart beginning to race as Yang closes her eyes with a tired sigh and leans into her touch. Swallowing thickly, Blake cups her jaw and brushes her thumb against Yang’s cheek, tracing the freckles on her skin and watching as Yang nuzzles her cheek into Blake’s palm. 

Blake’s chest  _ aches.  _ Her heart feels too big for for her body, swelling and growing with each breath that Blake takes. Yang’s eyes are swollen from crying, her hair is frizzy from drying after being caught in the rain and she looks so,  _ so  _ tired… and yet, she’s still the prettiest sight that Blake’s ever seen. Something begins to burn in her chest, flooding her with a gentle warmth as she gazes up at her, a sense of awe filling her as Yang opens her eyes and looks at her shyly. 

“For what it’s worth… Raven Branwen doesn’t know what she’s missing out on,” Blake whispers, wondering if Yang can hear how loudly her heart is beating in her chest. She cards her hand through Yang’s hair, smiling up at her warmly as she pulls Yang back down to her chest, holding her tightly as her best friend snuggles up to her. “And quite frankly, she doesn’t deserve to call someone as amazing as you her daughter.”

Blake’s ear twitches when Yang’s breathing hitches, her arms tightening around Blake’s waist as she turns to bury her face in Blake’s chest with a shaky breath. Blake quietly soothes her, running a hand up and down her spine as Yang slowly, very slowly, drifts off to sleep. 

As Blake watches the steady rise and fall of Yang’s shoulders, a lump forms in her throat. Her heart is still racing, her cheeks still burning and she can’t help but think…

That just maybe her mother had been right when she said that Blake had a crush on Yang.

* * *

“Hi, Summ—“

“YANG! PENNY IS  _ NOT  _ MY GIRLFRIEND!”

Two months after the Raven fiasco, Blake falls short, slowly looking up towards the ceiling and tilting her head in confusion before looking at Summer with an arched brow. “So… your daughter’s teasing Ruby about  _ Penny  _ today.”

“Yep. Yesterday was a Weiss day. Today… is a Penny day,” Summer laughs softly, her silver eyes twinkling playfully at Blake as the fifteen year old jumps up to sit on a countertop with a grin. Her laugh is so similar to Yang’s, joyful without shame, and Blake can’t help but think that Summer really is Yang’s  _ true  _ mother. “Now, young Miss Belladonna… tell me… are you in the mood for cookies? Because we may have to wrestle the girls for them.”

“If you go for Ruby, I’ll take Yang.” Blake says with a smirk, wiggling in place excitedly when her sensitive hearing catches the sound of Yang’s familiar footsteps walking down the stairs. “I know all of her weaknesses.

Summer raises an amused brow, her lips curling into a knowing smile that Blake’s not sure she likes. The door to the kitchen bursts open and Yang saunters into the room with a smug grin that makes Blake’s heart skip a beat. When Yang turns to her mother, Blake pounces, wrapping her arms around Yang’s waist and lifting her up to twirl her around, delighting in the sharp squeal Yang lets out as she bats at Blake’s arms.

“Blake!” Yang laughs, twisting in Blake’s arms to pull her into a crushing hug that Blake eagerly melts into. “God, I keep forgetting how strong you actually are.”

“It’s the hockey practice.”

“Uh-huh. Well, whatever it is, it’s paying off,” Yang teases softly, playfully squeezing Blake’s bicep before arching a brow at her. “But uh… what’s with the sneak attack, Belladonna?”

“Your mother and I are plotting against you and Ruby.”

“Mother! How  _ dare  _ you!” Yang gasps, outraged as she turns around to point dramatically at a silently laughing Summer Rose. “Siding with the fiendish Blake Belladonna? I am  _ hurt!  _ I am  _ betrayed!  _ I am—“ Yang’s rant is cut off by a loud growl emanating from her stomach and she freezes, laughing sheepishly when Blake giggles at her. “I am hungry, apparently. Can Blake and I take our cookies up to my room, Mum?”

“Hmm… I dunno… am I going to walk in on you two asleep and snuggling amongst cookie crumbs again?”

“Mother!”

“I’m just saying that you two are adorable,” Summer says with a far too sweet smile. “You two would would look so cute together at the Winter Dance at the end of the year. Blake, are you going with anyone yet?” Summer asks curiously, ignoring a spluttering and red faced Yang as she turns to Blake with a slight smirk.

“Uh… yeah. I’m.. my friend Sun asked me to go as his plus one,” Blake stutters, glancing nervously at Yang. Perhaps it’s silly to worry about what Yang thinks. It’s unlikely that Yang will even care, other than wanting to make sure that Sun treats her right. No different than any other friend would. “He asked me this morning but we’re just going as friends, I think.”

“Well, I’m sure that Yang might still save a dance for you, won’t you Yang?” Summer says with a pointed look at Yang, narrowing her gaze as Yang shuffles awkwardly. 

“Sure, whatever,” Yang mutters, cheeks tinting red as she grabs Blake’s hand and gently pulls her out of the room and up the stairs towards her room. Closing the door, she turns to Blake with a tense, awkward smile and laughs sheepishly as she rubs the back of her neck. “Sorry about Mum. She’s got it in her head that we’d make a cute couple… which is, like,  _ insane.  _ I mean… can you imagine  _ us?  _ As a  _ couple _ ?  _ Crazy _ , right?”

“Yeah,” Blake says, forcing a smile as she sits down on Yang’s bed and looks away, trying to ignore the way her chest hurts. “Crazy.”

The tense atmosphere lasts only until Summer brings up cookies and milk for them, leaving them both to eat in peace. Yang’s the first to crack, throwing a chunk of cookie into her mouth and hitting herself in the eye instead. She whines, rubbing her eyes and glaring at the cookie chunk before turning to Blake with a glare when she giggles. A challenge follows and soon, both girls are giggling and snorting with laughter as they take turns throwing cookie chunks into each other’s mouths.

* * *

Sun, Blake very quickly realises, is about as mature as fifteen year old boys ago. He’s handsome and charming, funny and she’s always enjoyed his company… but when her supposed date for the night immediately bee-lines towards his best friend and tackles him to the floor, she can’t help but sigh. 

“Huh. I thought your date was meant to be all over you, not Neptune.”

Blake gasps and turns to face Yang, her jaw falling slack at the sight of her best friend in a pair of low heels and a beautiful white dresss that cuts off just above her knees. There’s a purple pendant around her neck and her hair has been expertly curled, most likely by Summer. Blake’s gaze falls to Yang’s face, her features emphasised by a light layer of makeup, Blake feels her heart  _ twinge  _ at how  _ pretty  _ Yang looks.

“Hi,” She breathes, stepping closer to Yang offering her a small smile that shifts into a wince at the sound of Sun and Neptune tussling on the floor behind her. She chuckles, rolling her eyes slightly and shrugging it off. “What can you do? You know what the boys are like.”

“We’ll, yeah… but even if it’s just as friends, Sun should actually be paying attention to his date.” Yang says with soft huff of laughter, her lilac eyes softening as she looks at Blake’s dress, her lips pulling into a wide and affectionate smile. “You look really pretty.”she adds gently, glancing away from Blake as she rocks on her heels lightly. 

“Thank you.” Blake murmurs, stepping forward without consciously meaning to and smiling up at Yang, her right hand curling around her left bicep nervously. “So do you- look pretty, that is.”

They both jump as Sun stands up victoriously, pausing to glance at Blake with a wide grin. “Hey, Blake! Nep and I are gonna see who can chug the most punch before we get sick. Wanna come with? There’s rumours that it’s spiked!”

“Uh… no. Thanks. I’ll… catch up with you in a bit, Sun.” Blake says with a fond laugh as her friend shrugs at her, his monkey tail waving behind him madly. “I might dance with Yang, if you don’t mind?”

“Dude, I’m your plus one. Not your chaperone. Do whatever, have fun.” Sun snorts and Blake feels a swell of affection for the boy as he grabs Neptune by his arm and runs off, leaving her alone with Yang once more.

“So… about that dance?” Blake asks softly, holding out her hand with a shy smile and watching as Yang’s cheeks flush. Her heart stutters when Yang rolls her eyes fondly and takes her hand, letting Blake pull her out onto the dance floor.

They stand together, gently swaying in time to the music with Yang’s hands on Blake’s waist and Blake’s hands resting on Yang’s shoulders, their movements a little awkward and unsure. Blake glances up, giggling nervously as Yang offers her a sheepish grin. A small squeak escapes her as she stumbles, grunting as Yang catches her and supports her weight until she rights herself with an embarrassed snort. “Sorry.”

“You’re fine,” Yang chuckles softly, smirking as she holds Blake a little tighter, a teasing glint enterigg by her eyes. “You’re shit at dancing. You know that right?”

“Oh, screw you, Xiao Long,” Blake says with a pout, rolling her eyes as Yang laughs. It’s makes her heart hurt, in both a good and a bad away. Yang looks stunning when she laughs and Blake can’t help but wish that they could have something more… but Yang had more than shown how she felt about  _ that  _ idea. Yang thought that the idea of them being a couple was insane and so, Blake has to content herself with what they have, even if it hurts a little.

“Hey. You okay?” Yang murmurs softly, frowning in concern when Blake’s smile falters. She pulls her a little closer so she can speak quietly, her voice low enough that only Blake can hear her. “You know I’m just teasing right?”

“I do. It’s not that. I just—“ Blake sighs, dropping her head and staring at their feet, her black cat ears pressing against her head as her fingers twitch against Yang’s bare shoulders. She swallows, hard, and looks back up. “I… guess I’m just… a little disappointed because there’s somebody else I wish I was here with, as wonderful as Sun is.”

“Oh? And… why are you here with them instead?”

“... because she’s not interested in me like that.” Blake says with what she hopes is a light shrug. She clears her throat roughly, hoping that the waver in her voice isn’t as obvious to Yang as it is to her. “She’s made it pretty clear how she feels.”

“She sounds like a dumbass,” Yang says with a snort, rolling her eyes irritably as she pulls Blake closer to avoid another pair of dancers on the floor. She looks at Blake, a strange and thoughtful expression on her face as she smiles. “If you ask me, if she can’t see what she could have, then she doesn’t deserve you. I mean… you’re smart, you’re funny and kind, you’re a badass on the hockey field and you’re cute as a button. If she can’t see that, she  _ does not  _ deserve you.”

“You’re right about one thing… she’s doesn’t deserve me,” Blake sighs, hiding the way her eyes shine with tears by laying her head on Yang’s shoulder, hoping that she looks like she’s seeking comfort about her “mystery girl” more than anything. “She deserves much,  _ much  _ better.”

Blake almost pulls back when Yang freezes,  _ almost,  _ but the way Yang sighs and pulls her closer, resting her cheek on Blake’s head as they continue to sway, settles Blake back against her. A sharp pang of guilt strikes her, makes her wonder if she should be enjoying this as much as she is. But how can she not, when she can feel Yang’s warmth against her body, flooding her very heart and soul? How can she not enjoy the way Yang lifts one of her hands to curl against one of Blake’s, squeezing gently,  _ reassuringly,  _ as they dance? Maybe it’s selfish… but Blake can’t help but press her nose to the crook of Yang’s neck, inhaling her familiar scent of citrus and leather as she closes her eyes and greedily drinks in what could have been…

If only Yang felt the same way.

* * *

“Dude, you need to tell her.”

“Tell who what, Sun?”

Blake flops onto her back in Sun’s backyard, ignoring the sound of him following after her and sitting on her right. An irritable grunt escapes her when the seventeen year old boy pokes her cheek with his tail, batting it away with an indignant snort as he snickers.

“Yang. Tell her that you have the hots for her,” Sun says, leaning over to look down at Blake, his cheeks dimpling as he smiles cheekily at her, blue eyes gleaming with amusement. “Or are you too much of a bi disaster zone to do anything about it?”

“Sun!”

“Oh, yeah… you’re right.” Sun sighs, turning his back to Blake and flopping backwards so that his head lands on her stomach heavily. “It’s beyond that now. You’be been in love with her since that stupid middle school dance.”

“I  _ will _ kill you,” Blake wheezes, reaching out to smack Sun’s chest. She glared down at the side of his head, silently wondering what in the hell possessed her to let him invite her over. “I’m not in  _ love  _ with her—“

“Blake. We went to that dance together as  _ friends  _ and as your friend, I have to tell ya… the looks that you were shooting her all night were less friendly and more pining,” Sun says with a loud laugh, turning to grin up at Blake as she growls. “Very gay pining. You got it bad, Belladonna, so why don’t you go  _ get  _ it?”

“I— okay. Fine! So I have feelings for my best friend. Big whoop!” Blake groans, letting her head fall back to the grass as she stares forlornly up at the sky, grimacing when a cloud forms the shape of a dragon. “I  _ know  _ she doesn’t see me like that so I’m not gonna risk losing the most important person I’ve got, Sun.”

“You’re so stupid,” Sun sighs fondly, reaching out his hand to poke Blake’s chin. He chuckles, deftly avoiding her batting hands as he settles his hands across his bare stomach and turns his head to look up at the sky. “Let’s say that Yang doesn’t like you like that. She still loves you to death, B. She’d never let something like you being ass over tit for her ruin what you have.”

“... did you  _ have  _ to phrase it like that?” Blake mutters, pinching the bridge of her nose with an exasperated sigh. Her hand falls back to her side and she bites her lip, her cat ears pressing back against her hair as she watches the dragon shaped cloud float away. “I just… I dunno. There’s this voice in the back of my head telling me that I’m going to fuck up everything, Sun. I… don’t think I can take that risk.”

“Sure you can, B,” Sun says, leaning up on his elbows to grin at Blake, his gaze soft and encouraging as Blake looks back at him. “You’re braver than you give yourself credit for, man. ‘Bout time you started to own it.”

Blake’s expression softens and she sighs, reaching out to ruffle Sun’s hair affectionately, chuckling as he squawks indignantly at her, batting at her hands to shoo her off. She lays back down, her chest aching as the dragon cloud dissipates, disappearing from view, and she swallows thickly.

Maybe Sun was right. Maybe she could take action one day… but the real question is  _ when. _

_ When  _ will she be brave enough to talk to Yang Xiao Long?

* * *

Blake stares into her mother’s full length body mirror and bites her lip, casting her gaze slowly over herself as she takes in her outfit, carefully taking mental note of any adjustments that need to be made before the month ends.

Her eyes track over the heels she wears up to the form fitting black dress pants covering her legs. A slow grin spreads across her face as she examines the dark purple tuxedo jacket hugging her body, unbuttoned to show off the matching vest and white button down shirt underneath. Her eyes drift to her neck, taking in the yellow bow tie adorning it, and her expression softens as she reaches up to touch it lightly, her grin shifting to a helplessly gentle smile. Perhaps it was a little obvious, to pair her suit with a colour she knows Yang loves, but she thinks that it’s time to be a little brave.

After all… if she plans on telling Yang how she feels on prom night, she might as well be a little bold.

“Blake? Honey- oh!”

Blake turns around, smiling shyly as her mother enters the room, closing the door and stepping towards Blake with one of her hands pressed against her mouth as she used the other to press it against her chest. Sentimental tears fill Kali’s eyes and she huffs a watery laugh, blinking quickly to chase them away.

“Mum! Why are you crying?” Blake says through a small laugh, despite the way tears fill her own eyes. 

“I’m sorry… I’m just- look at you! My baby girl… all grown up,” Kali sniffs lightly, stepping forward to straighten Blake’s jacket, the action so similar to the way she used to fix Blake’s jackets during winter as a child before she ran out to find Yang. Kali smiles, an expression full of sentiment and nostalgia filling her gaze as she moves to adjust Blake’s bow tie, making it a little neater before cupping her child’s face in one hand and smiling kindly at her. “I am so proud of you.”

Blake lets out a shaky laugh as Kali pulls her into a hug, holding her close for a long moment as both women try not to cry. 

“Kali? Is it safe to come in?”

“Yes, dear. She’s ready!”

Ghira enters the door next, walking over to Blake and smiling warmly down at her, his own eyes willing up with same nostalgic tears as Kali’s had. “Oh, look at her, Kali. Our little girl is all ready to take prom by storm,” Ghira chuckles, his voice a gentle rumble as he pulls Blake into a hug. “Remember… if anyone lays a hand on you that you don’t want, then that’s your cue to defend yourself.”

“You say that as if she’ll be more than a foot away from Yang at any given time,” Kali scoffs, smirking as her husband pulls back and steps close to her, wrapping an arm around her as they look at their sputtering daughter. “Oh, don’t be coy, dear. We’ve known for years this was going to happen.”

“Mum!”

“The bow tie  _ is  _ a little obvious, sweetheart.”

_ “Dad!” _

Blake groans miserably, hiding her burning face in her hands as her parents laugh. She grumbles incoherently as Kali giggles, looking through her fingers to glare balefully at her parents as they grin at her. “You’re both the worst,” She mutters, dropping her hands to shove them in her pockets as she raises her chin and stares at them resolutely, her ears pricking forward as her chest swells with determination and she exhales slowly. “And for your information, I’m  _ aiming  _ for obvious, thank you very little. I’m gonna tell her on prom night and- well, I’m going to hope that she doesn’t hate me for it.”

Blake wheezes as her parents suddenly wrap her up in a tight hug, holding her as they murmur in her ears how proud they are of her once more. She closes her eyes, remembering how often they would hold her like this after a nightmare and she feels a pang of nostalgia. 

Regardless of how prom goes, she knows that her parents will be waiting to celebrate or reassure, just as they always had.

* * *

Prom night comes and Blake feels her heart stuttering nervously as she waits by a wall, grunting in acknowledgement as Sun runs up to her… with his button down shirt undone a few buttons too many.

“She’s not here yet,” Blake murmurs, letting out a shaky breath as she reaches back to play with her long ponytail, her fingers shaking with nerves as she moves. “I don’t-  _ fuck,  _ Sun. What if I shouldn’t do this? What- what if this is a mistake? What if-“

“Blake. She’s here.”

Blake doesn’t hear him, tapping one of her heels anxiously against the ground. “What if it goes wrong? I don’t- I don’t know what I’ll do if this ruins our friendship. I- I care about her  _ so  _ much, Sun. I- I don’t wanna-“

_ “Blake!”  _

Blake squeaks in protest as Sun grips her chin in one of his hands and turns her head, forcing her to look at the door of the auditorium. Her breathing hitches at the sight of a figure stepping through the doors, wearing a beautiful yellow dress that cuts off at her knees. Their golden hair is perfectly curled, pulled into a slightly messy bun on top of their head. When they turn to greet someone, Blake can see that the dress is backless and as they turn back around and meet her eyes across the room, their lilac gaze meeting her own amber one, she feels her heart stuttering in her chest, leaving her breathless as she takes a distracted step forward away from Sun.

_ “Yang…”  _ She breathes, swallowing thickly as Sun chuckles and pushes her forward. “I- I’m just- I’m gonna—“

“Go get her, tiger,” Sun chirps, patting Blake’s shoulder as he disappears from her side, a fond chuckle leaving his throat.

Blake walks on slightly shaky legs, silently praying that Yang doesn’t notice the nervous trembling in her hands as they meet halfway. She greets Yang with a shy smile, letting her eyes wander and  _ really  _ take her in. Hesitantly, she reaches out and takes Yang’s right hand, her eyes widening at the sight of a purple corsage tied around her wrist, and gently holds it in her hand bashfully. “Hi.” She says with a soft huff of laughter, her skin pricking with heat when Yang squeezes her hand. “You look… amazing, Yang.” She adds quietly. She can feel her cat ears, one of which she had adorned with two cuffed earrings, tilt back anxiously.

“Tha- thank you,” Yang says, her voice cracking a little as she looks at Blake, her gaze wide and surprised as she runs her gaze across Blake’s body. For a moment… Blake imagines that there’s a blush staining her cheeks, a slightly hungry look entering her friend’s eyes, but then, it’s gone. Replaced by a soft smile as Yang meets her gaze once more. “The tux suits you, y’know.”

“... that was a pun, wasn’t it?”

“Not intentionally, no.”

“Dork,” Blake murmurs, her voice painfully fond as she smiles down at Yang’s corsage. Biting her lip, she runs her free hand over the purple flowers as she looks back up Yang… and this time, she  _ knows  _ she’s not imagining the way Yang’s cheeks darken into a furious blush. Hope sparks to life in her chest and so, in a moment of boldness, she steps forward into Yang’s space and chuckles. “Purple, huh? Nice colour choice, sunshine.”

“I could say the same about you,” Yang breathes, freeing her hand and reaching up to straighten Blake’s bow tie, her hands brushing against Blake’s chest and collar. Almost experimentally, as though testing an unspoken boundary, she curls her fingers around the lapels of Blake’s tux and gives her a playful tug. “The yellow looks good on you, Belladonna.”

“I guess it does,” Blake says, internally wincing when her voice shakes. She feels her breathing hitch when Yang’s expression softens and she moves to pull away, freezing as Blake moves to grab her waist. Blake smiles nervously when Yang gives her an unsure look, her brow furrowing as though trying to put the pieces of a puzzle together. “But I think that we’d look better on that dance floor. I promise I won’t trip into you this time around,” She adds, letting out a sigh of relief when Yang tips her head back with a loud snort of laughter. “Dance with me?”

“Well, lucky for you, Blake… I saved a dance just for you,” Yang murmurs, her gaze warm and soft as she lets Blake pull her to the dance floor. 

Blake surprises both herself and Yang when she curls her right hand around Yang’s hip, tugging her firmly against her body and using her free hand to cradle Yang’s right. Yang shakes her head, a smile that’s equal parts amusement and shyness crossing her features, as she curls her left hand around Blake’s right shoulder and presses herself close to Blake until they’re nose to nose. Blake can feel Yang’s breath ghosting across her lips, shaky and a little nervous, and she wonders if Yang can hear how fast her heart is racing. A shiver courses through her when Yang begins to play with the ring adorning her left index finger, gently shifting it around Blake’s finger before entwining their fingers sweetly. 

“I need to tell you something,” Blake whispers, averting her gaze and looking at Yang’s bare shoulder, focusing on the freckles splattered across her skin. “I- I know that it might ruin everything but I can’t- I can’t keep lying to you anymore, Yang. It hurts too much.”

_ “Blake,”  _ Yang says emphatically, the hand on Blake’s shoulder pressing soothing circles into her jacket with her thumb. She can feel Yang’s gaze on her and yet… she can’t bring herself to look. “Hey. C’mon. We’ve been best friends for  _ years.  _ You can talk to me. You know that. Nothing could stop me from loving you, you dork.”

“I hope that’s true,” Blake says with a weak laugh, swallowing thickly as she stops dancing and pulls back to stare Yang in the eyes, silently begging her to see her…  _ really, truly  _ see her and all that she feels for her. “I love you. As in you’re the most important person in the world to me. As in you’re the first thought I have when I wake up and the last one I have when I go to sleep. I love you as in your laugh is the most beautiful sound in the world and is  _ definitely  _ why I make a fool out of myself, just so I can hear you giggle. I love you as in—“ Blake stutters to a halt, her throat closing up as Yang watches her with wide eyes. She swallows, hard, and closes her eyes, letting her head fall forward until it presses against Yang’s and she lets out a trembling breath, anxiety gripping at her chest painfully. “As in… I’m in love with you.”

There’s a long silence that makes Blake’s heart pound. Her blood is rushing through her ears and she can feel the sharp sting of tears at the corners of her eyes. Yang pulls away from her, disentangling her hands from Blake and Blake feels tears fall down her cheek, her heart slowly breaking…

Until warm hands cup her jaw and gentle lips press against her own. She gasps, opening her eyes to stare in shock at Yang until her mind catches up and her eyes flutter shut once more. She melts into the kiss, curling her hands around Yang’s waist and pulling her close to her. A small whimper escapes her when Yang’s fingers brush her cheeks tenderly, gently wiping away the tears that fall before pulling back to rest their foreheads together, waiting until Blake opens her eyes to smile weakly at her.

“I love you too, Blake. As in you  _ are  _ my world. As in nothing makes my day like hearing your voice. I love you as in I’ve  _ dreamed  _ of kissing you for so fucking long now,” Yang says, mirroring Blake’s earlier words with a shaky laugh as her own eyes well up with tears. “I love you as in I’m in love with you too.”

Blake lets out a noise that’s half laugh and half sob, reaching up to grip Yang’s jaw and pull her into a searing kiss until their smiles are too large for them to manage it. She giggles lightly, letting Yang pull her into her arms and buries her face into the crook of Yang’s neck; her hands curling against her beloved’s chest, and sighs happily as Yang holds her close. They sway gently from side to side, wrapped up in their own little word as Yang rests her head against Blake’s with a contented hum. 

The first chapter of her life was over and the next would begin as she attended college. New challenges will surely arise, both large and small, but Blake Belladonna knows that she can handle them…

Especially when she enters campus, hand in hand, with her girlfriend; one Miss Yang Xiao Long.


End file.
